


Passionate Sacrifice

by Rabbitafy



Category: Adventure Time
Genre: Crossdressing, F/M, M/M, gender bending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-23
Updated: 2013-06-07
Packaged: 2017-12-12 17:27:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 19,889
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/814109
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rabbitafy/pseuds/Rabbitafy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After losing a bet to Fionna, Marshall Lee is forced to dress up and attend a dance as a girl... where Prince Gumball meets and falls for him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The girl in the blue dress

**Author's Note:**

> -Marshall and Gumball's personalities in this story are based more on the Fionna and Cake comic book series then the show.

“Hey, hey! Prince Gum~Ball~!”

Lifting his gaze from the face of a chatty water nymph, Prince Bubba Gumball had to contain his sour expression. Approaching from his left was a deep purple, cloud-shaped form with a sparsely growing mustache and a cell phone in one hand.

“Hey, like, uh,” Lumpy Space Prince addressed, pocketing his cell phone (somehow, despite having no _pockets_ to place it in) and motioning the other over. “Have you met Michelle?”

Politely excusing himself from the water nymph’s side, Bubba crossed the short distance to meet up with the purple man, trying to hide his annoyance.

The two of them, along with a numerous amount of honored guests, were attending a soirée hosted by Breakfast Prince and his sibling, Toast Prince. It was a miraculous event, honoring thirty days Ice-Queen free in their kingdom and anyone of importance had been invited.

Bubba – a tall young man with baby pink sugar skin and hair made of pink bubblegum – was always up for a royal get-together. This particular event promised to be free of interruption (unlike his own parties) due to the presence of Ooo’s most famous heroine, Fionna the Human.

He had yet to go about greeting all of his acquaintances when Lumpy Space Prince – more commonly called LSP – had approached. However it seemed just as he was about to tell the younger man that, the cloudy form grabbed hold of his arm with his own noodle-like limbs and began to drag him toward the opposite end of the room.

“LSP!” The pink-haired man gasped as he passed by a hoard of people he hadn’t yet had a chance to greet.

“Whatever, dude,” LSP huffed in annoyance as they neared their apparent destination. “You’re like, totally going to want to see this, okay? She’s the hottest girl I’ve _ever_ laid my eyes on and, like, I’ve seen a _lot_ of girls.”

Reminding himself to give the boy a serious talking to at a later date, Bubba found himself sighing. He didn’t have time to worry about some apparently attractive girl; he had guests he needed to greet and a faithful friend somewhere amongst the crowd, keeping an eye out for Ice Queen. Fionna had apparently made herself scarce, not wanting to be seen in a dress, but he still wanted to track her down if only to say hello.

All of his previous thoughts waned, however, as he laid eyes upon the girl who had his lumpy friend all up in arms. As they approached, the purple boy called out and a form turned to greet him, instantly stopping the Prince’s heart cold.

She was… she was _breathtaking_. With ebony hair that hung down to her waist in perfect curls and a princess-style dress made of royal blues, this girl was… there were just no _words_. She was _amazing_ , like a work of art had been painted before his very eyes, there just for him to gaze upon. Her skin was a pale blue, complimenting her outfit brilliantly, and her eyes were a deep teal that reflected the light in the room in a brilliant array of blues and greens.

Instantly, the girl’s cheeks went red and she turned away, as if trying to hide her face.

“This is Prince Gumball,” LSP cut in as he practically pushed Bubba toward the girl, who turned her shoulder to him, holding up a hand to her cheek. “You know, the one I told you about? Gummy, this is Michelle.”

“…Hello, Your Majesty,” The girl mumbled shyly, her voice surprisingly deep, but in an almost… sensual way. “It’s a pleasure to meet you…”

“The pleasure is all mine, I assure you,” The pink-haired man found himself saying, liking the way it made the other’s pale cheeks light up even more. “LSP, where ever did you find such a beautiful gem?”

“She, like, came with Fionna, apparently,” The purple man sighed dramatically, before opening his mouth to speak again. He was cut off, however, as the Prince stepped forward and roughly shoved him out of the way, earning a theatrical huff. “Whatever! Like she’d be interested in you! Go ahead and bore her with like, your talk of… of your boring stuff!” With that, the form floated away, no doubt leaving to complain to someone about the mistreatment.

“I must say, Miss Michelle… you are by far the most beautiful person I have ever laid my eyes upon,” Bubba flattered, taking the girl’s shaking hand and laying a kiss against her cool skin.

“That’s… what they keep telling me,” She replied, averting her eyes and seeming to try to hide her face behind a row of black curls. A sudden gasp left pale lips as she was pulled forward, her body pressing against the Prince’s as he held her in an elegant hold.

“Please, my lady,” The pink-haired man declared, sounding desperately pained as he stared into her teal eyes. “Would you honor me by accepting my proposal of a dance…?”

For a few moments, the ebony-haired girl stared up at him, before she slowly blinked her dark-lined eyes. Then, after another agonizing second or two, she took a step back. “Um… hold that thought?” Before he could respond she was spinning on elegant blue heels and rushing from his sight.

From there, the girl shouldered her way through the crowd until she reached a large balcony, nearly throwing open the doors and stumbling out into the crisp night air. A round of laughter reached her ears as she spun and shoved the double doors shut, before turning to glare at its owner. “Beef this, Fi!”

Standing alongside the railing, dressed in an uncomfortable-looking white gown, was a girl known as Fionna the Human. With a white hat and blonde hair that poked out from beneath it, the girl was well-known throughout the land for being the savior of many, purely for the love of adventure.

“A bet’s a bet, Marshall,” She informed, cocking one hip to the side and crossing her arms over her chest. “You lost, so you pay up.”

With an exasperated sigh, Michelle – or rather, Marshall – threw ‘her’ hands up, before storming over. “This isn’t fair! Do you _know_ what’s going on in there, Fionna!?”

“Yeah!” Came the chuckled response as the blonde threw a hand over her mouth, her shoulders shaking. “People actually think _you_ are a girl. Cake is a miracle worker!”

“People are… are calling me _the prettiest girl in Ooo_!” The _boy_ shrieked, throwing his arms into the air. “Lumpy Space Prince is practically drooling all over me and Fi, _Gumbutt_ asked me to _dance_!”

Instantly, Fionna’s laughter stopped and she stared at her friend in awe. For a moment there was perhaps what might have been a twinge of jealousy in her eyes, before her grin slowly replaced itself on her features, three fold. “ _Seriously_?”

“You think I’m _lying_?” He replied roughly, sounding offended.

The blonde suddenly doubled over, her arms around her waist as she cackled openly. Even as her flustered friend glared at her, she continued to roar for a few moments, before finally managing to catch her breath. A smug smile crossed her peach face, then, and she leaned back against the railing. “Serves you right for trying to beat _me_ at arm wrestling, dude.”

Baring his teeth in frustration, the pale boy turned his gaze away. “Yeah, well… I still don’t see how anyone could be that strong. I’m just saying.”

“You just don’t like that you got beat!” The human girl declared, before she pointed a finger at her companion. “But a bet’s a bet, Marshall Lee! And I _destroyed_ you, so get your paste-face in there and _dance_!”

With a defeated groan, Marshall Lee about-faced and returned to the party, his shoulders tense.

Unsurprisingly, Bubba was waiting in the spot he had left him in, still looking dumbstruck by his sudden disappearance. As he spotted the pale boy approaching, his face lit up and he gave a quick bow of his head. “Ah, you’ve returned! As per requested, I’ve ‘held’ my thoughts.”

Pondering if the other man was made of cheese and not sugar, the ebony-haired form held out one hand, his cheeks flushing all over again. If the Prince were to find out about his secret, he would _never_ live it down. “If the offer still stands, Your Majesty, I will take that dance now.”

“Splendid!” The candy-man declared, reaching out to cup a delicate hand in his own. Just as he did so, it seemed the music began to pick up and the guests paired off, each finding a partner to sweep onto the large ballroom floor.

Marshall had never been much of a ballroom dancer. He’d always preferred to kick back and rock out… and it was for that very reason that he found himself ungracefully stumbling in his heels, his cheeks red.

To his surprise – and a little bit of relief – the Prince didn’t make a show of it. Instead, he slipped his feet gracefully under the ends of the ebony-haired boy’s heels and carried him the rest of the way through the dance, like a parent might do when teaching their child.

It certainly wasn’t graceful and romantic like it would have been in the movies, yet the pale man couldn’t help but feel… wistful. As the songs slowed down into a more slow-paced, romantic tune, he stepped off of the other’s feet and wrapped his arms loosely around the pink-skinned man’s neck.

Bubba was half a head taller than him on any given day, but with the aid of the shoes Fionna’s best friend had forced him into he nearly came up to the other’s forehead. Still, in a moment like this where they were simply enjoying each other’s company, it seemed almost like their bodies fit perfectly together… like they were made for that very moment.

Suddenly, the shorter man flushed pink and pulled away, lowering his gaze. What in Ooo had _those_ thoughts been about? That was _definitely_ unexpected! His thoughts should have been about how to bail, not how _nice_ it felt to be dancing with the most stuck up, egotistical-

A hand reached out to take his and the next thing he knew, he was being led through the dancing forms around them. The balcony came into sight and Marshall panicked for a moment, certain that Fionna would give him away as she howled with laughter, but to his relief the girl was nowhere in sight as his companion pushed the doors closed.

“Are you alright?” Bubba asked, earning a surprised look from a pair of dark-lined teal eyes. “You looked a bit panicked, back there.”

“Oh, I… I’m fine,” The ebony-haired boy forced out, turning toward the moonlight, giving his back to the other. “Sorry… about the dancing thing. I’ve never really… ball-room danced.”

How was he supposed to talk, anyways? If he acted like himself, there was no doubt he was going to give away his identity… but Marshall Lee had no _clue_ how to act elegantly, let alone like a _lady_. He was the kind of guy who picked his nose in public, not the kind of _girl_ who curtseyed to Princes.

“It’s quite alright,” The pink-haired man assured as he stepped closer, an elegant sigh escaping him. “I’m actually quite glad we parted from the dance floor. I wanted to speak to you, in private.”

Slowly, the form before him turned and instantly the candy-haired man fell silent. He was awe-struck, gazing upon the elegantly curved form that stood before him, moonlight silhouetting pale blue skin and ebony curls. For a few moments he stood there in stunned stillness, before he let a breath escape him.

“I… wanted to speak to you,” The Prince admitted, managing to snap himself out of his daze. “Your beauty astounds me, Miss Michelle… even now gazing upon you is like staring at the most beautiful star in the night sky.” Instantly, the other’s cheeks turned red, but Bubba was not finished. “But I’m not so shallow as to be interested in only your looks… I came out here to speak to you and to ask you about yourself.”

Ask him… about himself? Marshall felt panic rise in his throat. What was he supposed to say? He didn’t want to start making up a personality, because he knew he wouldn’t be able to keep his story straight and then his secret would be out. But it wasn’t like he could just _admit_ to being a devious troublemaker, either, because the taller man was incredibly smart and he would see _right_ through that.

“Hey, Michelle! There you are!”

The doors were being pushed open behind the candy-man before either of them could say anything more. Fionna slipped through them, her white dress from earlier somehow discarded for her usual blue top and dark-blue skirt and a grin upon her features.

“Oh hey, Peej!” She addressed, giving him a rather rough slap on the back. He let out a cough of surprise, seeming to choke on his own breath ungracefully. “I see you met Miche.”

“Yes, I have… had the pleasure of making her acquaintance,” The tall man addressed and Marshall had to wonder if the air about him was one he always had around girls, or if it was just for ones he had just met. “Tell me, Fionna, where did you find her?”

Fionna’s eyebrows shot up and she gave Marshall a surprised glance, before turning to look at Bubba. His gaze demanded a response and the pale-skinned man expected her to crack under the pressure, but instead she crossed her arms over her chest, seeming relaxed. “She’s new to Ooo. Came across the Sea of Sure Death, from The Vampire Kingdom.”

Instantly, the pink-haired man was intrigued and the shorter of the two males had to hand it to his blonde friend. If there was one thing Fionna could do, it was spin a story on the spot… now keeping the whole thing _straight_ , however…

“I thought perhaps you were a vampire,” The Prince admitted, turning to look at the ebony-haired form beside him, who tried his best not to let his caution show. “You seemed weightless on the floor, while we were dancing.”

Suddenly, Fionna’s fist snapped out, catching the tall man on his upper shoulder. Bubba huffed, puffing up his cheeks and turning to look at her with a frown. “Math, Peej!” The blonde cried, shooting him a glare. “You don’t talk to a girl about her weight!”

Instantly, violet eyes widened and the pink-skinned man flushed with embarrassment. “Oh, yes, of course!” He cried, turning back toward Marshall, who was trying his best not to smirk. “My apologies, Miss Michelle! Oh, how could I have been so rude?! Please, do forgive me!”

“That’s quite alright, Your Majesty,” The dark-haired boy assured, relishing in the fact that the stuck-up Prince was apologizing to _him_.

“Anyways, Michelle and I have to go home early to talk about girly stuff and junk,” The human girl cut in, earning twin looks of surprise. “If Ice Queen was going to show up, she’d have done it already, so you guys are safe for tonight. Don’t party too hard, Peej!” Before anything more could be said, she was taking the vampire’s hand and pulling him through the balcony doors, through the ballroom.

“Wait, Michelle-!” The Prince cried as he stepped into the crowd, making the music stop instantly. Hundreds of pairs of eyes were on them as both parties stood still, forms of all sizes parting to allow their eyes to lock. “I… I wish to see you again.”

What was that about not being shallow? He didn’t know a thing about ‘Michelle’, yet the candy-man seemed determined to try and find out. A frown crossed the ebony-haired boy’s features. He did _not_ want to shove his waist into an uncomfortable corset again just so he could dump Prince Gumball. “I…”

“ _Please_ ,” Bubba begged, making Marshall’s breath catch in his throat. “I feel like… like fate has brought us together. I _must_ spend more time with you, Michelle. I _must_!”

Boy, did he sound _desperate_. Like was dying of thirst and the pale-skinned form was the only liquid around for miles. If it were any other time, the vampire would have been laughing on the sidelines, watching his long-term frenemy (the other’s word, not his own) suffer over some globbing _girl_. But instead he was standing there, dressed in a silky blue gown with uncomfortable heels and a corset strapped around his waist so tight he couldn’t breathe… watching as the other plead to see him again.

There was a collective breath being held around the room and it seemed like all of Ooo was waiting for his answer. With a thought of, _I can bail later_ , the vampire gave a slow nod and at once the crowd sighed in wistful relief, their shoulders (in most cases) relaxing.

“Tomorrow night,” The Prince assured. “Meet me in the Marshmallowy Mweadows, after the sun goes down.”

The shorter man had just enough time to give a single nod before he was being pulled from the ballroom and out of Breakfast Prince’s residence, feeling as if his stomach had been left behind.


	2. Gumdrops

Somehow, Marshall had managed to make it back to his residence without a word being spoken between him and his wayward friend. She’d left him in appreciated silence and he’d struggled to rid himself of all signs of his previous persona, shedding the painful corset and lopping off the curled dark locks that he’d grown out instantaneously earlier that night.

After scrubbing his face clean of any make-up and stuffing the unwanted clothes into his closet, the vampire had adorned a loose pair of boxers and enjoyed the comfort of his bed, his trusted feline curling up on his chest as he drifted off.

He tried not to think about the pink-haired man who had tried so desperately to spend time with him, the very idea of it causing a painful twinge in his chest. Who knew that even the Prince of the Candy Kingdom could be a slave to attraction? The idea was foreign to the pale man, who had seen so many faces over a thousand years that the idea of desperately pleading for a slightly more appealing one was preposterous.

What had people found so… _appealing_ about him, anyway? Yes, he understood that he was beautiful – it was a concept not lost on him, despite the fact that he couldn’t actually _see_ his own reflection – yet no one had ever acknowledged it before.

Did… he really make that pretty of a girl? Sure, his features were a little bit _soft_ and he had a button nose, but… Were his looks really that effeminate?

No way. They _had_ to be crazy. He was a _gorgeous_ man, there was no doubt, but he was pretty certain he made a relatively average girl.

With thoughts of how Fionna was going to break ‘Michelle’s’ sudden disappearance to the drooling Prince – and a smug smile – Marshall let himself drift off into a comfortable asleep, Schwabl purring as she did the same.

* * *

A loud, rasping knock on his front door awoke him what seemed like only minutes later.

The sun was high in the sky outside of his cave, however, so he knew it was well into the afternoon.

“Are you kidding me right now?” Marshall groaned as he hovered over to the doorway, spotting a short girl dressed in blue and a large cat at her side. With a blow upwards – to push his bangs from his eyes – the dark-haired man yanked the door open and shot them each a glare. “What are you do- …ing… here…?”

A look of horror crossed his face as he spotted the girl’s arms – full of clothing – and the cat’s hold – full of make-up and various other… girly things.

“Let’s get you ready for that date!” Cake the Cat cried, using her stretchy limbs to slide in a leg around him, before following it like a snake.

“W-what-!?” The vampire choked as Fionna pushed past him none-too-gently. “What the beef, Fionna!? We did _not_ agree to this!”

“Actually,” The girl cut in as she dropped the pile of clothing onto the man’s grey sofa. “ _You_ didn’t agree to it. I did… and so did Cake. That’s two against one, so we win!”

His face burning red with frustration, the taller slammed the front door closed and crossed the room in one swift movement. “It’s not something I can be out-voted on! You dared me to wear a dress to the party and pretend to be a girl- I did it! There was _no_ mention of… of going on a date with _Gumbutt_!”

With an intensity that he couldn’t remember seeing on her face before – save for the time he’d _accidentally_ shoved Cake and then kidnapped her – the human girl turned toward him, her eyes hard. “Marshall Lee Abadeer, you can’t sit there and tell me that you were not extremely flattered by PG’s interest in you.”

Feeling that this was at least twenty percent jealousy over her ancient crush on the candy Prince, the older stopped to think about her words. He supposed it _was_ the tiniest bit flattering that the most eligible bachelor – and the most stuck up – in all the land had asked _him_ on a date… but it was also true that it was based on looks and that was just so _conceited_. “Yeah, I guess I am a _little_ flattered.”

“So it’s settled!” Fionna chirped, suddenly happy again as she began to shift through the clothes. “Cake helped me pick out the ones that would probably fit you.”

“Wait- what!?” Marshall cried, holding up his hands with a frown. “I never said I’d go, Fi!” As she turned to pout at him, he sighed. “Look… as awesome as it is that Prince High-and-mighty thinks _I’m_ hot – in a _dress_ , mind you – I’m not going to shove my poor waist back into that corset and grow out my hair again just to see him!”

“You don’t have to wear that corset,” The blonde informed with a surprised face.

With a small sign of relief, Marshall momentarily considered the possibility of doing it, if only because he wouldn’t have to strain his poor aching waistline.

But then she ruined it by holding up a large, stiff white piece of clothing. “You have to wear _this_ one. It’s much more flexible.”

“No!” He declared, dramatically waving his arms above his head as he turned his back to her. “No, no, _no_! Bubba can just deal with being stood up because I am _not_ , under **any** circumstances, going on this date!”

A gentle hand was upon his shoulder then and he turned, finding a pair of blue eyes looking up at him. Oh, no… she was doing the _thing_! The thing she always did to people to try and get what she wanted… she’d look with her big blue eyes and reason, using fancy words to try and convince them…!

“But what if he was right?” The human asked, her voice wistful. “What if fate _did_ bring you together? What if you’re _meant_ to be with him, Marshall?”

“That’s ridiculous!” The dark-haired man declared, shrugging her hand off and turning his back. “If that’s true, then why didn’t it happen a hundred years ago when we first met, huh? Or _any_ time up until this point?”

“Because Gumball is shallow.” It was Cake who cut in, making him groan. Now _she_ was doing the _thing_ , with big brown eyes as she moved in front of him. “He didn’t see the _real_ you beneath the messy hair and the brash attitude. You put up walls, Marshall Lee, to keep people out… and it works. Maybe, for once, you should let someone in.”

Glob it all… they were _right_. With a groan, the vampire fell back, floating a few feet off the ground in a laid-back position. Girls _always_ had a way of getting into your head and manipulating you to get what they want… That was part of the reason he had given up dating them long ago and he hadn’t regretted it since.

He _did_ put up walls. After a thousand years of being hurt over and over, he wanted nothing more than to keep his distance from people (save for a select few) and Bubba was one of them.

He’d never shown the other man anything other than his care-free, you-don’t-bother-me attitude. Throughout their years of casual acquaintanceship he’d been a real twit to the Prince, who had been nothing but rude in response. The only moment they’d shared of alliance was when the boy had been much younger and he’d bestowed upon him his favorite band T-shirt after taking him to a concert for a secret birthday gift.

…The candy man did wear that shirt every night to sleep, didn’t he?

Was it really going to take _this_ to spark any sort of companionship between them, though? He supposed it _did_ make a bit of sense… What better way to surpass walls then to start fresh, with no indication that they’d ever been there in the first place?

He just wished he didn’t have to wear that stupid _corset_ while doing so.

Fionna and Cake were already grinning by the time he turned around and nodded, identical squeals falling from their lips. The feline crossed over to the pile of clothing, beginning to sift through it as she cried, “Alright, paste-face, we’re going to make this happen!”

“Why do I get myself into these situations?” Marshall mumbled, only to watch in horror as his friend removed a pair of _tiny_ blue shorts from the pile. “Uh, Cake… I don’t know what you know about _men_ , but-”

“Oh, I know a lot more than you’d imagine, baby,” She assured, fixing him with a look that left no argument. A look of horror crossed his pale face as she held up the clothing in question. “ _Tuck it_.”

“W-what the math!?” The vampire shrieked, holding up his hands. “No way! Do you know how much that _hurts_!?”

“First rule of being a girl, babycakes,” The white and tan feline began as she removed a sports bra and a pale blue tank-top from the pile. “Beauty is pain.”

The young-looking man was unable to fathom these thoughts as Fionna suddenly grabbed hold of him and tugged his shirt off. As he shot her an uncomfortable glare, her best friend shoved a roll of tape and a pair of lacy underwear into his hands, an expectant look on her fuzzy face.

With a frustrated noise, the pale man lifted his feet from the floor and traveled up to his bedroom, only to make way into the bathroom. He ignored his non-existent reflection for the moment as he slipped off his boxers.

Why was he doing this, again? Oh, right, to try and form a friendship with _Gumwad._ In that moment the idea seemed ridiculous as he gazed down at the tape in frustration.

Truth be told, he was used to ‘tucking it’ – as Cake had put – due to his extremely tight choice in pants. The skinny jeans he always adorned were _not_ meant to be worn by men but they made his legs and butt look fantastic, so he went through the chore every night to put them on. Some pairs were loose enough to hang free but most of them required a bit of pain and a lot of tape.

But doing it to put on a pair of… _panties_ and a corset? This was _insane_. Idly hoping that his ‘date’ wouldn’t show, Marshall went about the daunting task of discomfort before he slipped on the frilly underwear and headed back downstairs.

Fionna was ready with his most dreaded enemy in hand, loosening the laces as he approached and turned his back to her. Thankfully, the girl said nothing as she wrapped the corset around his stomach and quickly snapped up the front. A pained wheeze left the dark-haired form as soon as she grabbed the strings and began to pull, squeezing his skin together instantly. As she pulled and pulled, Fionna lifted a foot to rest it on his behind, jerking back and making him wince.

Wondering why in Ooo he was doing this again, the pale man let out a breath of relief as she finished tying it off. “Where… did you get these clothes, anyway?”

“We bought them,” Fionna explained as she wrapped a garter belt around his waist and put it into position. “This morning.”

Wondering how weird it must have been for the gruff girl and her feline to be buying these objects, the dark-haired man brushed off Cake as she started to push long, blue stripped socks up his legs. He reached down, noting how uncomfortable doing so was as he pulled the objects up and tried to figure out how to fasten them to the garter. “Why this thing, anyway? Won’t they stay up on their own?”

His blonde-haired friend chuckled, before leaning in to do it for him as the white cat readied the shorts. “They will, yeah… but with this it’s sexier.”

“Glob, what am I _doing_ to myself?” The older groaned as the shorts were pulled up to the edge of the corset and buttoned. They fit perfectly, prompting the man to wonder how the girls had known his _exact_ size.

“We stole a pair of your skinny jeans for reference,” Fionna explained with a grin, making his cheeks flush. “You know, with how often you wear those things, I’m surprised you’re not used to tucking it already.”

“Fionna-!” The boy shrieked as the girl’s best friend handed him the sports bra and he slipped it on in one fluid motion. “When did you start using language like that?”

“When I got a boyfriend?” Came the offered response, before the short girl un-shouldered her backpack and reached in. Marshall watched in awed confusion as she removed two water balloons.

“What, we’re not using socks like last time?” He asked, remembering the objects he’d had pressed against his chest the night before.

Cake chuckled and the blonde rolled her eyes. “Well, not that I think he will, but… if Peej so happens to _accidentally_ cop a feel, these will be much better.” As the other looked at her in horror, she reached forward, placing the cold objects into his bra. “The key is pudding. It makes them more realistic.”

Teal orbs eyeing her peach-colored face, the vampire mumbled, “How do you know these things?”

Instantly, the girl blushed and reached over, punching him roughly on the arm. “Shut up, Marshall!”

The finishing touch was attached, then, as Cake helped him to pull on a thin-strapped tank-top. Looking down at himself, Marshall had to admit that he _did_ look pretty feminine… the night before had been all parlor tricks with the corset and a puffy gown, but the female duo had done wonders with tight clothing and he was honestly surprised.

“Now, let’s get that hair in place, shall we?” Fionna asked, motioning toward his head.

Slumping his shoulders in recollection, the dark-haired man gave a heavy sigh and reached up. “How do you want it today, ladies?”

“Long and straight,” The feline informed and he gave a solid not, before getting to work.

One by one he grabbed locks of dark hair, starting from the back and making his way forward. With one simple, fluid tug the strands grew instantly and painlessly, flowing away from his body in obedience as he worked.

It was a demon trait, one he hadn’t really made use of much in a while. In his youth he’d dabbled in long hair and occasionally he liked to shave off part of it, but for the most part he left his particular ability alone. On top of the skill to grow it at will, he could also control the flow of it easily, allowing for perfect curls like the ones he had worn the night before.

“Take a seat,” Cake cut in once he was obviously finished, running his fingers through the waist-length locks. The feline grabbed a brush and a pair of hair-ties as the ebony-haired boy crossed his legs and placed himself on the ground.

“Pigtails?” Fionna inquired and Marshall made a face as the fluffy white feline nodded. It couldn’t get any more girly then that.

The cat was none too gentle as she tugged his anew, sensitive hair into twin tails; perfectly even, long, and thin, they trailed down to his lower back, spilling over his shoulders. She’d left his elongated bangs out, only to remove a pair of scissors and trim them to the length they had been the night before, with a part in the middle.

“We done here?” The vampire asked hopefully, only to sigh at the look he received in return. The other was enjoying this far too much, he could tell. It wasn’t often that she got to play dress-up, he figured, with Fionna not caring much about her appearance, but that wasn’t exactly _his_ problem.

Grabbing a kit of various types of make-up, Cake began to paint his features in shades of blue, complimenting his pale skin (or at least he assumed, since he couldn’t exactly _see_ it).

“There!” She declared and sat back, allowing Fionna to see. The blonde leaned in, letting out an impressed whistle before turning to gaze out the window. “Just in time, too! The sun’s starting to go down!”

“You’d better get moving, baby cakes!” The feline cried, shoving a purse into his hands and pushing him toward the door. “You don’t want to be late! Boys hate it when you’re late!”

“I think I know that,” Marshall grinned as he pulled open his front door.

“And make sure to tell him that he looks _hawt_!” Came one last call as he shut the door behind himself.

With one glance down to the object in his hand, Marshall tossed it on to the front porch and headed off, thankful for the overcast night that would protect him from the last bit of the sun’s rays.

* * *

The trip to the mweadows was uneventful. Thankfully they weren’t too far away and he seemed to arrive early, the sun still lowering into the Rock Candy Mountains.

As soon as the last of it was behind the peaks and the sky’s dimming began to speed up, a long, dark form could be seen in the distance. Marshall felt his chest tighten… of _course_ he was riding on MoCro. The monocromicorn was the Prince’s faithful companion and they always traveled together, so there was no reason for him _not_ to be there.

Never mind that the dark-haired creature _hated_ him.

The horse-like animal came to a stop a few feet from him, tossing his head in annoyance. But it wasn’t the animal that the vampire was interested in… no, his eyes drifted upon the Candy Prince as the pink-haired man dismounted his faithful steed and approached.

Dressed in a white button-up and a wine-colored sweater vest, Bubba had his hair styled downwards, as opposed to his usual up-do. It was… flattering on him, although a bit new to the ebony-haired boy.

MoCro gave a whine and began to stop his hoof on the ground, before scratching at it a few times. A frown crossed his candy companion’s face and he sighed, huffing, “Yes, I _know_ she’s a vampire.” As Marshall frowned, the taller man let himself smile and approached, holding out one elegant hand. “Hello again, Miss Michelle. You’re looking quite lovely this evening!”

Feeling a little bit underdressed, Marshall reached out to take the other’s hand in his own. “Thank you. So are you.”

A part of him was still pondering the best course of action when it came to the situation at hand. He wanted to immediately be on the defensive and fake a persona that would win him the Prince’s approval… but then he remembered that the whole point of dressing in this uncomfortable (though stylish) outfit was to get to know the other man without all the stigma that came with his real face.

 _In hindsight, I should have just pretended to be my own twin brother or something_ , The pale man thought as the other man leaned in to kiss his hand, before he released it. Watching with slight amusement, he didn’t let his eyes drift from the other as he crossed over to MoCro and gathered a wicker basket from the creature’s back.

He was trying _so_ hard to impress and the older man had to admit, a part of him was flattered. Especially as Bubba opened up the basket and removed a red and white plaid blanket, laying it down amongst the marshmallow flowers. His cheeks began to flush as the other removed various items from the basket – how did he fit so many in there, anyway? – setting them out in a display of beauty.

Red. They were all red. From apples to raspberries, peaches and even tomatoes… There was a cake there, too – red velvet, with crimson frosting – and even a plate of spaghetti.

“I do hope you enjoy eating red,” Bubba hummed, his cheeks a bit darker as he watched for Marshall’s reaction. He seemed to realize something, then, and placed a hand against his cheek . “Can you even do so? Or is that just a Marshall Lee thing…?”

Deciding not to admit that he was the only vampire known to consume red, Marshall turned to look at the man with a small smile. “I can and I enjoy doing so. Thank you… Your Majesty.”

“Please, call me Gumball,” The Prince requested with a kind smile as he motioned for the other to sit. Together, they gracefully placed themselves on the blanket, the candy-haired man taking a plate while his date picked up an apple and inspected it.

Tree Trunks. He was _really_ trying to impress. That little yellow bugger had the _best_ apples around.

“So Miss Michelle,” The younger man stated, earning a pair of teal eyes. “Tell me a little bit about yourself.”

Hating that question with a passion – what did one _say_ to that, anyway? – Marshall rolled the fruit around in his fingers. “What do you want to know?”

A smile crossed pink lips as his date placed some raspberries on his plate. “What do you like to do in your free time?

 _Be honest_ , Marshall told himself. _You want him to like **you**. _ “I’m really into music,” He admitted, before sinking his fangs into the juicy object and enjoying the flavor for a moment. It was a deep shade of red – not his favorite, but certainly top five. “I like to sing and play various interments.”

Bubblegum eyebrows shot up as the other smiled a bit awkwardly. “Must be a vampire thing.”

“What?” The older inquired, only to earn a small shake of the head in response. Deciding to stir the conversation away from his similarities with… well, himself, the other man asked, “What about you?”

“I enjoy baking,” Bubba informed, puffing up his chest as if his love of throwing ingredients together was impressive.  “And science, as well. I try not to combine the two, however, as bad things usually happen.”

A small smile crossed the pale man’s lips. “I can imagine.”

“I do dabble in a bit of music myself, however,” The Prince admitted, earning a look of surprise from the other. “Nothing too big, but I enjoy singing every now and then.”

To be honest, the ebony-haired man was impressed. He had known the other played a mean BMO – when he let himself loose and didn’t try to control _everything_ – but he wasn’t aware that the candy man could sing.

“We should have a duet, sometime,” The younger commented before taking a sip of his sugary juice, a smile on his face. Although he gave a nod in response, his date hoped such a thing would never come to pass.

If the other heard him sing… there was no doubt he would recognize him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Marshall's conceitedness in this chapter is based off his personality in the comic.


	3. An anticipated label

They spent the evening talking about various things, including their favorite types of music and Fionna’s choice in men (apparently, Bubba disliked Flame Prince just as much as he did, though he had to pretend he’d never met the boy). From there, the conversation drifted into dangerous territory and Marshall felt his chest tighten.

“So you came here from The Vampire Kingdom, huh?” The Prince inquired, lying back on the blanket as they stared up at the stars. “What’s it like over there?”

How was he supposed to know? He’d never been there! He couldn’t exactly make anything up, either, because he wasn’t sure what the other had heard about the land and… oh, that was it!

Turning his head to look at the younger man – and noting how uncomfortable it made the twin-tails in his hair feel – the pale man prompted, “Well, what have you heard about it?”

“Not much,” Came the admitted response as violet eyes turned to look into his own. “Vampires don’t usually travel over here, from what I hear.”

“Probably because the last one to do so was killed, a thousand years ago, when he tried to take over the area.” He’d tried not to sound bitter about the whole thing, but Marshall was forced to pull his eyes away, afraid the other could read them like an open book. “That was the Vampire King. Now our current King lives over here… somewhere.”

He didn’t miss the sour expression on his date’s face and it made his chest ache slightly. Bubba quickly changed the subject, prompting, “Why did _you_ come to Ooo, then?”

That was a good question. One that he would be completely open to answering… if he could. Why _would_ a vampire cross the sea after a thousand years? He supposed there was only one reason, but it didn’t seem fathomable to say in this current situation.

To kill the Vampire King. That was the only explanation that made sense. But saying that would open up a can of soup he didn’t want to mess with and if he was going to be honest about his own personality, then it was totally off. He didn’t care about becoming king – ‘queen’, in this case – so he doubted that Michelle would either.

“Honestly?” Marshall offered as he tried to grasp at a reason. “I got sick of my family.” As the other’s eyebrows shot up, he let out a puff of air through pouted lips. “They were never around and when they _were_ , they tried to control _everything_.”

Okay, so that was _somewhat_ true. His mother was that way – in fact, that explanation fit her to a T.

“That sounds very frustrating,” The younger man replied with a sympathetic expression.

“What about your family?” The vampire found himself asking nervously, though he already knew the answer. It wasn’t really one he wanted to hear again, either… but it would have been rude not to ask.

Slowly, violet eyes turned away and the pink-haired man sighed. “My father died when I was young and my mother ruled the kingdom. When I was roughly 16, she passed away. That was over 100 years ago, however. But I still miss her.”

With a gentle hand, the shorter man reached out to touch the other’s shoulder. Bubba turned to look at him, offering a sad smile, before he suddenly rose to his feet.

“No more talk of the dejected!” He declared, holding out a hand, which the dark-haired man took. The Prince easily pulled him to his feet, before gathering him into his awaiting arms. “I have one more thing planned!”

“Wha-?” The older questioned as his date snapped and the nearby black steed flipped a switch on what looked to be a radio of some sort. Suddenly, music filled the air around them and the marshmallow flowers almost seemed to dance to it.

“Follow my lead,” The candy-man breathed gently as he took one of Marshall’s hands in his own, resting the other one comfortably on his shoulder.

“I don’t think this is-” The ebony-haired boy started only to be swept up suddenly, literally pulled off of his feet as he and the other began to twirl.

MoCro stomped his hoof on the ground for a moment and suddenly, a wave of candy-drop bugs flew into the air, twirling around them. The light of the moon caught on their sugary surfaces, making it appear as if various colored fireflies were surrounding them.

Slowly, Marshall found himself smiling. Dancing was much easier to do when he didn’t have to put his feet on the ground and he found himself enjoying it after some time, especially as he shifted positions, resting his front against the other man’s.

One delicate hand with finely painted fingernails lifted up to rest on the back of Bubba’s neck, while the other gently cupped his cheek. Idly, he noticed the other’s hands resting on his back, supporting him, but he was too far gone… too captivated by the other man’s gaze locked with his own to notice much of the world around them.

This was a side of the Prince he had never seen before. A gentle side, aiming to please and to impress him in ways that no one had ever bothered trying. It was… romantic, even, if one could call it that on the first date.

They had nothing in common. The taller man was a stuck up prick who spent too much time worrying about his people and not enough time on himself; and Marshall was a laid-back, care-free guy who couldn’t have cared less about what other people thought of him or the consequences of his actions.

…So why did he find himself so captivated by the other man? Why was the thought of leaning in to kiss those sugary pink lips so _appealing_? Why could he imagine himself doing this, night after night, and enjoying it?

Maybe… maybe it was because there _was_ more to the other man. Behind all that prissy-Prince attire and his bossy attitude, there was someone who he wanted to… to get to _know_. As much as he hated to admit it, there was just something about Bubba Gumball that enchanted him.

And it was for that reason that he leaned in, capturing the other man’s lips with his own.

It was short, but passionate. His teal eyes fluttered closed within split seconds and he felt the other’s grip on his back tighten slightly. The sugary taste of the other man lingered on his lip gloss as he pulled away, running his tongue across the area and letting out a slow breath.

Cheeks flushing suddenly, Marshall released the other and backed away a foot or so, still hovering in the air. The younger man gazed at him with an expression of content, a smile gracing his features as he let out a wistful sigh.

Something in him told him to flee, to run away and never look back… it warned him that he was getting in far too deep and that things were only going to get more complicated from this moment. But the vampire couldn’t help but feel drawn to the idea that maybe, just _maybe_ he could convince the pink-haired man to care about him.

A hand reached out and gently, the pale form took it, returning to their seat on the blanket as the last of the gum-drop bugs returned to their resting spots.

“Have you heard the story about Penelope and the stars?” The younger finally stated after a long stretch of comfortable silence.

The ebony-haired man lifted his head, looking down at the other in surprise. “No, I haven’t,” He admitted.

A smile crossed his date’s face as the Prince turned to look at him. “My mother used to read it to me when I was young. Come here.” He lifted one arm and laid it beside himself, earning a small smile from the older. Quickly, the vampire snuggled into the open area, resting one cheek against the pink fabric of his sweater-vest and turning to look up at the sky. “Penelope was a little girl who _loved_ the stars,” He began, as if he were reading the story himself. “She decided one day, she wanted to go be amongst them.”

Trying not to scoff at the impossibility of that, Marshall turned to gaze up at the sky when prompted.

“So Penelope gathered many things from all of her friends and built herself a rocket ship,” The other continued, his lips upturned at the fond memories. “A big ship that would carry her to the sky! But when she got inside, she realized she’d forgotten one thing… a start button!”

He turned, then, and bopped one finger on Marshall’s button nose, making the pale man stick out his tongue in response.

“So Penelope went to her mother and she told her, _Mama, I forgot a start button_!” The other went on, turning to look upwards once more. “And her mother said, _Oh, Penelope… The start button is inside **you**. All you have to do is wish really hard and you’ll be amongst the stars!_ ”

He turned, then, and kissed the other man on the forehead in an almost loving gesture.

“She went back to her rocket ship,” Bubba continued. “And she got inside. Then she closed her eyes and she wished, and wished, and _wished_. When she opened her eyes… she saw the night sky, with billions of stars smiling back at her!”

“What? Are you serious?” The vampire gasped, turning over to gaze up at the other man in shock. “How- Wha- that’s not… What?”

A laugh left the candy-man as he reached with his free arm and tugged a bit of a loose ebony pigtail out of the smaller man’s face. “Well, it’s better with the book. Penelope’s mom covered the windows of the rocket ship with a painting of the stars. It’s a really sweet story.”

With a hum, Marshall rolled back over, turning to gaze up at the sky once more. “It’d be cool,” He admitted. “Going up there. Not just to Lumpy Space or whatever, but to the stars and junk. It’d be really awesome to just… I don’t know. Swim amongst them?”

“Apparently outside of Lumpy Space, there’s no air,” The pink-haired man hummed, resting his free hand on his own middle, now. “But I suppose that’s not so much of a problem for you, is it?”

Deciding not to admit that he actually _needed_ to breathe, the older man gazed over at his date for a moment, before he smirked. “I can see why Fionna had a crush on you.”

Instantly, pink eyebrows shot up and the taller turned to look at him. “Excuse me?”

“She told me, is all,” The pale man chuckled, averting his eyes with an innocent expression. “She even said you went on a date once.”

“That- That was-!” With an embarrassed huff, the Prince turned his gaze away. “That was Ice Queen, disguised as myself. I have no desire to take Fionna out on a date.”

“What about me?”

Bubba turned to find teal eyes peering up at him idly, a hopeful look hidden beneath a front of coolness that the vampire was trying to put forth.

“Would you like to go on a date with me?” Marshall asked, cursing himself for sounding so shy. “Another one, I mean.”

Slowly, a smile grew across a pink face as the other leaned in, pressing another kiss to a pale forehead. “I would love to,” He whispered, before moving downward to capture the other’s lips with his own once more.

After they’d broken apart, the ebony-haired man sat up and lifted himself from the ground, purposely – and deviously – giving the other a good view of his behind before he landed on his feet. “I should probably let you get back to your kingdom. You probably need plenty of sleep to do your… Prince things, huh?”

With a defeated sigh, Bubba moved to his feet. “I suppose so,” He agreed, before he timidly pressed on. “But… I would like to see you again. Tomorrow night…?”

Trying desperately to resist the grin that crossed his features, the vampire quickly agreed. They set a time and a place and reluctantly parted ways, returning to their own residence.

As soon as he’d stumbled into his house, the vampire began to desperately claw his clothing off, resisting the urge to tear them. He stripped off the make-shift bra – after removing his ‘padding’ – and quickly unbuckled the front of the corset, letting out a relieved breath.

Slowly, he let his eyes travel down to look at himself, a frown crossing his lips. What on earth was he doing…? Yes, okay, he wanted to see what the Prince thought of him behind the animosity that came with his own face, but… going to these lengths? Not to mention…

With a small curse under his breath, Marshall floated up to his room and folded the removed clothing, setting them on the dresser. What was he thinking, setting up _another_ date? It was _never_ supposed to get this far! Okay, so yeah, Bubba liked him… he knew, so that should have been that.

…Yet he couldn’t help but want to know _more_. He couldn’t help but want to… to _kiss_ the pink man again and go on dates with him and just… just stupid _mushy_ stuff. He wanted to be swept up into those arms again and twirled around in the moonlight and, oh glob…

He really _was_ turning into a girl!

With a frustrated noise, the vampire struggled to unhook the garter belt from his stockings as he kicked off his heels, before slipping them from his legs. This was getting too dangerous, but he already knew that he wasn’t about to back out. He was entranced with the candy-man and he wasn’t about to hold back, although completely aware of how deep he was getting.

Finally stripped of everything uncomfortable, the ebony-haired man didn’t bother to put anything else on as he flopped onto his bed. There was still hours until the sun began to rise yet he found himself wanting nothing more than a long nap, exhausted by the physical toll on his body. And so – realizing only momentarily that his hair was still long and up in twin tails – the boy let himself drift off in the comfort of his own bed.

* * *

The second date went much like the first, with plenty of talking and an extremely charming Prince. Cake had come over beforehand, bringing with her a corset that laced in the front – one he could put on and tighten himself – as well as an array of make-up.

She’d taught him how to put it on, which had been a difficult feat considering he couldn’t see his own reflection. Then she’d left him to do the rest himself and he nervously went about getting dressed, choosing a royal blue dress with a circle skirt.

Bubba had been dressed nicely as well, in a brocade waistcoat and a cravat. They spent the evening watching a fireworks display in a small village south of the Candy Kingdom, talking quietly to themselves.

They’d kissed again… and in fact, for three more dates after that they shared short, sweet kisses and gentle touches. They talked about anything that came to mind and to Marshall’s surprise… they had a lot more in common then he’d first thought.

Neither of them were very fond of books or of history. They loved movies and video games, as well as the moonlight. They were both quite fond of the color wine and detested the color yellow… And – most importantly – both of them considered Fionna to be their best friend.

“What are you doing this Friday?” The Prince asked suddenly one evening when they were finished taking a stroll through the cotton-candy trees.

The vampire’s eyebrows shot up. Friday night was their weekly ‘boys’ night, where they both would make their way to Fionna’s house and play games, or watch movies. As of late, it hadn’t been happening as often – with Flame Prince taking up all of the girl’s time – but as far as he knew, this week was still on. “…Nothing, why?”

“Fionna and I are having a get-together at her place,” Bubba explained, stopping in mid-step to turn toward his date, who did the same. “I’d like you to come.”

…That pompous-! _Ugh_! Had he forgotten the very first rule of boy’s night? _No dates_! Then again… on the other hand, Marshall had to admit he was a bit flattered. The pink-haired man was willing to break the rules just to spend time with him… He was stuck between a rock and a hard place, he supposed. He could either be mad about it, or complimented. But that was a debate for another time.

“Oh no, I couldn’t intrude,” The dark-haired man assured, holding up his hands. He realized, moments later, that the other man hadn’t even mentioned that _he_ was supposed to be there. “That’s your time for you and Fionna! I don’t want to come between you.”

“Nonsense,” The other chuckled, waving a hand. “I already asked her and she agreed.” Instantly, dark eyebrows shot up. “And it isn’t just Fionna and I. Marshall Lee will be there too.”

Wondering why Fionna hadn’t told _him_ this, the shorter man made a show of lifting his eyebrows. “Marshall Lee? As in… the Vampire King?”

“The very one,” Bubba stated with no attempt to hide the distain from his voice. “Hopefully, he won’t bother you… but if he does, I’ll make him stop.”

Marshall wanted to be offended that the other would think something like that of him, but in truth… if the Prince were to bring a date – other than himself – he would probably tease the couple to no end. Still, he found himself wanting to press the thoughts, cautiously saying, “He doesn’t sound like a very nice guy.”

“He has his moments,” The other hummed as he wrapped an arm around the shorter man’s shoulders and pulled him against his side. “But enough about him! Would you like to attend with me… as my girlfriend?”

Any thoughts of what the younger’s words might have meant went out the window as the vampire gasped. His… his _girlfriend_? Yeah, they had gone on a few dates, but… that was a _label_! That was something that would get around and that meant that they’d be… they’d be a real _couple_!

Turning to gaze up into violet eyes for a few moments, the pale man found himself smiling. “I would love to.” He felt his heart skip a beat as the other leaned in, capturing his lips with his own.

This one was slower… more passionate. Lips danced against each other in a show of emotion no gaze could express. It was obvious at that very moment that they were both falling hard for each other and Marshall was pretty sure that there was no going back from there.

He… was Bubba Gumball’s girlfriend.


	4. Boy's night

Fionna’s place was as it always was on boy’s night – lit with candles and furniture re-arranged for whatever activity they were doing. Tonight it appeared to be a movie, as she had sofas and chairs gathered around BMO, who was looking through a stack of tapes.

“Where’s Marshall Lee?” Bubba inquired almost immediately as they climbed the ladder from the treasure room and entered the main area. He looked around almost nervously as Fionna handed him his ‘boys night’ t-shirt and he pulled it on over his button-up, before replacing his wine-colored zip-up sweatshirt.

Fionna had to fight glancing at the vampire in question as she offered, “He had to cancel. Had a date, I guess.”

“Figures,” The Prince huffed as if he thought such a thing were typical behavior, despite the fact that the man in question had never before canceled boy’s night, let alone for a _date_.

“You can wear his shirt if you want, Michelle,” The blonde-haired girl offered with a strangely tight grin, holding out the t-shirt in question.

Returning the look with a bemused one, Marshall took the shirt and quickly pulled it on over his tank top. As he looked down at its unflattering shape (at least, on his current silhouette), he realized how very recognizable it made him look… The human girl seemed to see it as well because the next thing he knew she was gathering up one side of the shirt and knotting it, making it ride up slightly and cling in a more flattering way to his counterfeit curves.

There was a sudden knock on the door on the level below them and Fionna let out a squeal, hopping down the ladder. Bubba quickly threw an arm around his date and moved away from the entrance way, seemingly ready to protect the ebony-haired boy at any moment. “I guess his date canceled.”

To his surprise it wasn’t the vampire in question who entered up the ladder… but a head of red hair upon orange skin.

“Flame Prince?” The candy-man stumbled, almost looking offended as the blonde-haired girl followed her boyfriend up to the third floor.

“You brought a date, so I thought I’d bring one too,” She stated rather smugly, and Marshall had to hand it to her… that was a pretty sly move.

“I picked one!” BMO declared from zir place on the floor, before ze lifted up one of the movies. With a grin, ze attempted to make a scary face, waving zer free arm around in a wobbly motion. “Zombie attack of the night~!”

“Sweet, I haven’t seen that one!” Fionna declared, grabbing her boyfriend’s hand (it seemed someone had cast flame shield on him, as he didn’t burn her) and tugging him over to the sofa. “Hey, anyone want drinks?”

“I wouldn’t mind some juice,” Bubba admitted as he steered his date over toward the chairs.

“Great! Michelle, come help me!” The blonde cried, tugging the vampire from his partner’s hold and down the ladder, toward the kitchen.

“What’s all this about?” Marshall asked once they were alone, only to jump in surprise as she turned to look at him with a stern expression.

“What’s all _this_ about?” The human repeated in a frustrated tone as she motioned toward the taller’s body.

Looking down at himself, the dark-haired man took note of his heels, thigh-high socks, garter, short blue skirt, and the t-shirt she’d put on him. “You’re the one who bought me this outfit, Fi.”

Letting out an annoyed yell, Fionna threw her arms up. “Ugh-! It’s not about the _clothes_ , Mar! I _mean_ what’s with you and Gumball!?” As teal eyes shot her a confused look, she reached forward, grabbing his shoulders and pulling him down to eye-level. “When he told me he was bringing a date, I didn’t think he meant _you_.”

Dark eyebrows shot up, before a look of pure jealousy crossed the pale man’s face. “Then _who_ did you think?”

She seemed a little shocked for a moment, before the blonde let out a sigh and released him. “No one, okay? I just… ugh.” Slowly, the human reached up to push her stray bangs from her face. “Mar, it’s been _two weeks_. Have you been dating all that time…?”

His cheeks flushed instantly and Marshall turned away, playing with the hem of his shirt almost nervously. “We went on one or two dates… maybe five.”

“Five!” The shorter cried, throwing her arms up once more. “Marshall, you need to knock this off! And now he’s calling you his _girlfriend_?! When are you going to stop this charade and tell him who you really are!?”

Suddenly, the vampire’s hand snapped out and he threw it over the girl’s mouth, before nervously glancing up at the ladder. When it was obvious no one had heard, he turned to glare at his friend. “Will you quiet down? I don’t want him to hear you!”

“Maybe he _should_ ,” The peach-skinned girl snapped, a frown on her lips. “You can’t keep lying to him like this, Mar. One of these days, he’s going to find out.”

With a heavy huff, her companion turned his back and ascended into the living room, leaving no more room for discussion.

Of course he’d thought about telling the pink-haired man… but there was just no way he could do it. They’d grown so close over the past two weeks and he only wanted them to grow closer… he couldn’t face the idea of Bubba finding out the truth and hating him even more.

His only desire was to say at the other’s side, no matter what.

…When had this happened, anyway? Before he’d put on that blue dress he’d found the Candy Prince to be a self-important, stuck-up prick. He’d never cared about impressing him or being at his side… yet somehow, at some point he’d become entranced by the man who was so much more behind his bossy façade.

“Hey, there you are,” Bubba called from his place in a plush chair and Marshall crossed the room, moving to lay across his lap comfortably. “What did Fionna want?”

“Just girl stuff,” the dark-haired man admitted, not missing the strained look that Flame Prince was giving him.

His boyfriend didn’t press it as Fionna approached, handing over the requested glass of juice. The blonde had a sour look on her face as she took a seat beside her own date, blowing out a few of the candles.

The movie started and they became engrossed in it, the human girl and the vampire alike both enjoying the violence and gore while their boyfriends watched on with distain.

While a rather low-key scene was playing, Marshall jumped in surprise as a wine-colored sweatshirt was suddenly wrapped around his shoulders. Startled, he turned to look toward the Candy Prince, who gave him a warm smile in return.

He didn’t need a sweater… cold was something that he didn’t feel, but the gesture was so sweet that he found himself sliding his arms into it and snuggling into its depths, the object comfortably oversized on his lithe body.

Ignoring the look Fionna was giving him, the ebony-haired man inhaled the sugary sweet scent of his date deeply before turning back toward the movie, a smile on his face.

Eventually the film ended and the couples stretched their uncomfortable joints, before bidding farewell to one another. As the candy-man and his partner exited the tree house, he turned toward the shorter, asking, “Can I give you a ride home?”

Instantly, pale cheeks turned red. As wonderful as it would have been to take a moon-lit ride with his boyfriend back to his place, he couldn’t exactly let the other know where he lived. “No, I’m alright… maybe some other time?”

Seeming a big defeated, Bubba gave a solid nod and shared a quick kiss with the older, before he climbed on his steed’s back and they took off into the sky.

The tree fort’s front door came open behind the short man and he turned, expecting to see Fionna there to glare at him some more. To his surprise, however, it was the girl’s boyfriend that stood in the doorway, peering at him with unreadable yellow eyes.

“Don’t judge me!” Marshall snapped, before he turned and began to float away.

* * *

The title of ‘Prince Gumball’s Girlfriend’ quickly spread like wildfire throughout Ooo. The next thing Marshall knew, people were talking about him – or rather, _Michelle_ – everywhere. Even at the market, getting food, he could hear chatter of, _Did you hear about Prince Gumball?_ And, _Oh yes, he’s got himself a girl! A real pretty one!_

It officially became news, however, when Bubba invited him to attend a royal ball as his date.

Cake helped him get ready once more, telling him that Fionna was refusing to see him until he cleared things up with the Prince. It pained the vampire a bit, but he decided to put thoughts of such things away as the feline helped him put on his elegant gown with a deep blue bodice and pale blue sleeves.

“Why are _you_ helping me?” The pale man asked so suddenly that he surprised himself. “You don’t even like me.”

The cat’s non-existent eyebrows lifted for a moment, before she smiled slightly. “Because, paste-face… I know that sometimes, you have to go out of your way for love.”

Marshall bit back a scoff. Love, right.

The party was as boring as he’d expected, but he tried not to fall asleep. Most of it was greeting guests and having his picture taken by the press, the rest dancing and then standing aside while his boyfriend did royal things.

He went home that night and changed into a loose pair of boxers, shoving his hair back into a messy bun (he’d taken to just leaving it long, to save him the trouble of constantly re-growing it) before strumming on his guitar for a while.

Eventually, as the sun began to rise, the dark-haired man drifted off into a peaceful slumber…

Only to be awoken only an hour later by a loud pounding on his front door.

With a groan, Marshall dragged himself from the bed and down to the entrance way, pulling it open without any sense of caution. Thankfully, it was only Fionna who stood there, her face red and her shoulders heaving.

“Did you see this!?” She cried, shoving something into his face. As he stumbled back, she entered his home, slamming the door shut behind herself.

With an annoyed huff, the vampire grabbed hold of the object and stared down at it, only to freeze. “What… is this?”

Before him was a flimsy newspaper, the photograph on the front page of Prince Gumball, a beautiful girl on his arm. She had long, ebony hair, done up in an extravagant style and her gown was long and form-fitting.

That… that was him? It had been some time since he’d seen a photograph of himself, but this was… There- There were just no _words_!

Michelle was breath-taking, with the soft curve of her features and her elegant form. Her skin was pale and it contrasted against her dark hair and blue make-up, flattering her round eyes. The small smile on her face looked genuine, as if she was more than happy to be at the side of the candy-man, and…

And beneath all that, she was _him_.

“You really need to knock this the math _off_ ,” The blonde hissed, grabbing the object from his hand and pointing to it. “Going to a royal _ball_ with him, Marshall? _Really_? Look, I get that you think screwing with Peej’s mind is funny and all, but this has gone too far!”

“Is that what I-” The dark-haired man began, only to realize exactly what his friend had said. Teal eyes lifted to her in shock and his mouth fell open. “Wait, you think I’m doing this as a _joke_?”

Instantly, a frown fell across the human girl’s lips as she crossed her arms over her chest. “Well… yeah.”

“What the beef, Fi!?” Marshall cried, hands snapping forward to shove her backwards roughly. She frowned at him in response. “Yeah, okay, I’m a jerk and all but… you really think I’d beef with someone’s _heart_?”

“Mar-” Fionna started, only to be cut off as the vampire leaned in, his face inches from hers.

“I wouldn’t _do_ that,” He snapped. “I might have teased you when I thought you had a crush on me, but I wouldn’t have _dated_ you unless I had feelings for you!”

His words echoed around the silent room like a death sentence and as soon as they left his lips, he threw his hands over them. Instantly, the blonde’s blue eyes went wide and a grin crossed her features.

“You like Gumball!” The younger declared, pointing one finger into his face.

Cheeks flushed with embarrassment, the taller turned away, trying to hide.

“You totally have the hots for him, oh my glob!” The teenager continued in shock, her hands on either side of her face as she grinned widely. “You want to like, kiss him and junk!”

Gritting his teeth together, the boy dropped his head into his hands. “I… I already have.”

A shriek left Fionna and suddenly she was grabbing his arm, dragging him over to the sofa to sit down with her. “Give me all the details!”

A frown crossed Marshall’s face as he gazed at her openly. “What? What _details_?”

Instantly, the human girl’s features went blank, before she gave a nonchalant shrug. “I dunno. Cake always says that when I get home from my dates. I never know what she means. Girls are weird.”

“You’re telling me,” The older mumbled, rolling his eyes as he flopped backwards against the uncomfortable seat. An awkward silence fell between them, before the vampire cleared his throat and spoke again. “So, uh… is that really what I look like?” He motioned to the forgotten paper that his companion had dropped on the floor.

His friend looked surprised for a moment, before her features twisted into a grin and she began to laugh. As his cheeks flushed once more, she doubled over, holding her stomach. “Man, seriously?”

“Yes, seriously!” The taller huffed, crossing his arms over his chest and turning his face away. “Seesh… I can’t exactly see myself in the mirror to find out, can I?”

“Nah, I guess not,” The blonde chuckled, before she turned to smile at him almost fondly. “Yeah, Marsh. That’s how you look.”

With a hum, Marshall turned to gaze at the fallen paper for a few moments, before breathing, “…I’m beautiful.”

Another round of cackles left Fionna before she began to wipe at her eyes. “Man, you crack me up! Oh, hey…” Instantly, her mood became sober and she caught teal eyes with her blue ones. “I’m… I’m sorry about assuming. Well, you know… That…”

“That I was just beefing with Prince Gumball?” The dark-haired boy replied and instantly, her blonde eyebrows shot up. “Nah, it’s math.”

A whistle left the girl’s lips, before she smirked again. “Man, I think that’s the first time I’ve ever heard you call him that.”

Another flush fell over his cheeks and he turned away, huffing. “Yeah, well… He asked me to, so… whatever.”

The blonde got to her feet so suddenly that her companion was surprised she didn’t get whiplash. “Anyway, I better go. Cake and I got a dungeon to go to and then we’re supposed to go adventuring into unknown lands after lunch.”

“Well, uh… have fun,” Marshall offered as he stood as well (so to speak, his feet didn’t actually touch the ground). “I’m going to go back to sleep… if I can. Yelling kind of wakes a guy up, you know?”

Fionna’s cheeks turned pink and she punched him lightly on the arm. “Oh, stop! I already apologized. I’ll see you later.”

“Later, Fi.”

Watching as his friend departed through the front door, the vampire scooped up the fallen newspaper and leaned back in his spot, straightening the front cover to get a better look at it.

He really _was_ beautiful. Well, okay… he knew he was an extravagantly good looking guy, so the idea wasn’t exactly out of the box, but… It was like his features were _meant_ to be female. He’d never pictured himself as a girly guy, yet the form in the picture was nothing short of breath-taking.

“If that wasn’t me, I’d totally be in love with myself,” The man told no one in particular, before he grinned a little. “Beef, I might already _be_.”

It was no wonder Bubba had stumbled all over himself trying to ask him on a date.

He skimmed the article and approved of all the words written there. Great ball, nice night, good company – and a few paragraphs about how gorgeous he looked in his elegant gown. It was as it should be… he was the center of attention and he couldn’t have been happier about it.

Folding up the paper, he checked on Schwabl’s food and water before returning to his room in hopes of getting a few more hours.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -"Boys Night" is a concept introduced in the Fionna and Cake comics. Fionna, Marshall, and Bubba all get together to do something together. They also have matching shirts.
> 
> -Marshall's conceitedness in this chapter is based on the Fionna and Cake comics, as well. In them, he tells Fionna he is beautiful, even more beautiful then Bubba.


	5. A night to remember

He had yet to return Bubba’s sweater but really, Marshall had no intention to. It smelled like the Candy Prince and he was more than happy to snuggle into it whenever they hung out.

Usually, they went somewhere to watch a show or have a picnic, regular romantic lovey-dovey stuff… but sometimes they would go to the Candy Kingdom’s palace and sneak into the game room, hanging out and gaming all night long.

Peppermint Maid would usually catch them and spend half an hour lecturing the Prince about how he needed to find a _suitable_ girlfriend of royal status and marry her to continue the line. The vampire was always tempted to tell her that he was a _King_ , just to see the horrified look on her face… but of course he hung back, not yet ready to face the repercussions of his actions.

This night was spent away from the castle, however, between the Rock Candy Mountains and the Ice Kingdom. There was a nice spot by the lake, under a large tree that the vampire had spent many nights at, singing or serenading some of the creatures that lived there.

Thankfully, that particular evening was free of interruption as they dined, chatting about the things going on in the kingdom. Bubba explained about a pool made of honey and how his council was pressing him to fix it, when he deemed the idea unworthy, as no one ever used it.

Occasionally, his date would chat about his own life, though he usually kept it very brief. Not that his boyfriend never asked… no, the Candy Prince was always pressing to learn more, but the pale man tried his best not to give too much away, very cautious of anything being linked back to him.

The older was wearing his partner’s wine-colored jacket, per usual, over a black halter mini-dress and a pair of sapphire blue leggings, pale blue cherry blossoms designed up the legs. He wasn’t usually a fan of things with flowers on them, but the color of these ones were very appealing and the way they hugged his legs made him feel good. His hair was styled up in the twin-tails that he’d taken as a typical look, since they were surprisingly easy to do (after a tutorial from Cake).

In response, his other wore a deep violet blazer over a white button-up, and (surprisingly) a pair of blue jeans. His own solid gum hair was swept to the side in an asymmetrical way that gave him a more laid-back appearance. It was a look that the pale man really liked on him.

They were deeply engrossed in a discussion about the younger’s latest scientific research on making sugar resistant to water, when it happened. One moment they were talking back and forth, the next a cloud of fog was rolling over and a loud shriek was filling the air.

“Ice Queen!” Marshall heard his date cry and he reached out, grabbing hold of the other’s hand before the woman in question could snatch him up. He really did _not_ want to deal with a rescue attempt, especially not in a mini-dress.

To his surprise, however, when the fog began to clear it was not Bubba that the woman went for… but he himself. Suddenly, a deep blue fist came flying out and hit him square across the face, making him stumble backwards into the Prince.

“Michelle-!” The younger man cried as the vampire reached a hand up to touch his cheek in shock. “Ice Queen, what in Ooo…!?”

Letting out a shriek as the last of the fog fled away, the woman in question stood tall – taller than both of them, in fact, in her large heels. Her hair was stark white and hung down to her ankles in small waves, framing her face and falling into her pale eyes. A sneer was across her blue lips as she pulled them back, baring her teeth.

“Stay away from my Gumball, you poisonous insect!” She shrieked, before lifting up her hands and shooting off small shards of ice. The man in question gasped as he was suddenly shoved to the side, his partner pushing him to the ground.

“Back off, Ice Queen!” The ebony-haired man snapped, baring his own sharp teeth as she growled at him. “Glob, take a _hint_! He doesn’t want you!”

Instead of answering, the white-haired woman let out a shrill cry before she leapt forward. Sharp icicles formed to cover her fingers like claws and the next thing Marshall knew, the woman was swiping at him, scratching him across his cheek.

As he stumbled back, the small man reached up to touch his cheek, only to wince as he removed his hand and laid his eyes upon the blood that coated it.

“Y-you’re bleeding,” Bubba gasped in horror as the vampire gritted his teeth. “You… you can’t-!”

“She’s using magic,” His partner replied shortly, as if it answered everything.

In truth, the younger man was right. As a vampire, he was able to instantly heal from all sorts of wounds… things like a spear to the chest wouldn’t harm him, let alone a scratch on the face. But Ice Queen’s attacks were different. They used magic, which – for some reason – bypassed his vampire abilities and cut right into his demon side, allowing him to bleed and, ultimately, die.

The tall woman let out a feral call and flew forward, swiping at him again. This time, the ebony-haired man was ready, his own fingers formed into bat-like claws as he attempted to block her attacks. As the woman full-on assaulted him, his boyfriend stumbled away from the battle, watching on in horror.

He was no knight in shining armor, that was for sure.

It seemed that Ice Queen was one to play dirty because the next thing Marshall knew, she was grabbing a fistful of one of his twin tails and tugging, forcing his head to one side. As he cried out in surprise, she sank her claws into his upper left shoulder… slicing straight through the pink-haired man’s jacket.

“ _Ice Queen_ ,” The vampire growled, anger instantly rising. She didn’t back down, however, even as his eyes blackened and his pupils turning red, his fangs growing in size. With a snarl, the vampire jumped forward, tackling the woman and pinning her to the ground.

From there, claws were flying in an array of hair-pulling and scratching. Bubba watched on with an open mouth as his partner became victim to several more scratches, including one that came dangerously close to delicate _parts_.

Eventually, the dark-haired man managed to wrap one hand around the woman’s golden tiara and hauled it from atop her head. Instantly, her ice-like claws melted and with one powerful arm, he turned and tossed the item into the river.

“My tiara!” Ice Queen shrieked, pushing him off and rushing into the water.

Before anything more could be said, the vampire scooped up his shell-shocked boyfriend and began to float away as fast as the air currents would allow, not bothering to gather up their forgotten blanket or plates.

Blood was streaking down his legs by the time they reached the Prince’s balcony and he all but collapsed onto the tile, his clothes a mess and his hair coming loose from its neat tails.

The pink-haired man let out a single breath before he wrapped one of Marshall’s arms around his shoulders and helped the shorter to his feet, bending his knees to be able to do so.

The next thing the vampire knew he was being placed on the man’s plush bed and the Candy Prince was rushing into his bathroom, retrieving a first-aid kit. Bubba crossed the room and his partner flushed as the man bent down beside him, moving to address the wound on his leg.

A frown crossed both of their features, however, as the shreds of his black mini-dress blocked the path and both of them knew, in that moment, that treating the wound while he was wearing it was going to be impossible.

“I’ll, um… I’ll get you something to wear,” The younger murmured, getting to his feet, only to stop as the other reached up to touch his pink hand. As he looked down, his date could see that his rosy cheeks were flushed with embarrassment and nervousness.

“Don’t worry, I’ll find something,” The vampire assured as he lifted himself off of the bed and crossed the room to the massive walk-in closet, shutting the door behind himself.

After flicking on the light switch, he was met with an assault of _pink_. Numerous shades of the color were strung along the walls, as well as folded on shelves and stuffed into roll-out drawers. Dress shoes of every shade were stacked on a display near the back and amongst the massive amount of cloth was very little variation of color.

 _Too bad I look terrible in pink_ , Marshall mused as he painfully tugged his torn clothes from his body. The wounds were still sore and he was pretty sure they would take a few days to heal… but at least they wouldn’t scar.

It was with a bit of sadness that he dropped his boyfriend’s destroyed sweatshirt onto the floor. He’d been rather fond of it, but with a big rip on the shoulder and on the right arm it was of little use to him. Oh well, there was an _army_ of other clothes in that closet that he could claim as his own, he supposed.

It was extremely difficult to find something to put on. He needed something that would reveal all of his wounds – his left shoulder, right arm, and the right side of his upper thigh – without showing his corset or… _other_ parts.

Eventually, he settled on a white, pin-striped button up that hung about midway to his knees, leaving the top buttons undone. Thankful had he’d gone with a strapless bra that evening, the dark-haired man tugged the bands out of his hair and let his long locks fall down around him, running his fingers through them a bit to get rid of the awkward looseness.

With a nervous breath, the vampire flicked off the light and slipped out of the room with his torn clothes in hand, inwardly hoping that a slip-up wouldn’t happen that would reveal his secret.

As Bubba turned to look at him, his mouth dropped open for a few moments and he stared, his entire face turning a sugary sweet shade of red. Marshall made a point to sway his hips as much as possible as he approached, before taking a seat on the bed and crossing his right leg over his left, tugging up the shirt enough to reveal the wound.

After a few moments of silence passed, violet eyes staring openly at his lower half, the vampire cleared his throat. “Well?”

“Uh- wha?” The younger offered, finally managing to pull his eyes away.

A smirk crossed gloss-painted lips as the older leaned back on delicate wrists. “What do you think?”

Seeming at a loss for words for a moment, the Candy Prince cleared his throat, trying to force his eyes not to trail downward. “Good. You look good. Yes. Good. Nice, even. You… Good.”

Snickering now as the other became flustered, the pale man rolled his teal eyes. “I meant about the wound, Your Majesty.”

“Huh?” His boyfriend wheezed, before he let out a nervous laugh. “Oh, right! Of course that’s what you meant. I, um… let me take a look.”

“Thanks,” Marshall chuckled as Bubba began to address the wound, his entire face red. Once it was properly bandaged (after a bit of flushed embarrassment as the other wrapped the material around his thigh), the dark-haired man shrugged off one shoulder of the shirt to reveal the scratch wound on his left.

The Candy Prince was practically in his lap as he cleaned and bandaged this one, the close proximity of their bodies making the vampire’s cheeks light up. He was pretty sure that if it were possible, certain parts of his body would be heating up in that moment.

“T-there we go,” The younger squeaked as he finished bandaging the rather nasty scratch on the other man’s arm and the thin one on his cheek, before pulling away and sitting back, his legs crossed and his body turned slightly away.

A slow, devious smirk spread its way across pale lips and the shorter man turned toward his boyfriend, knowing _exactly_ what his flushed face and tense shoulders meant.

“Are you alright?” He addressed, reaching out to place a gentle hand on the other’s leg. Instantly, the candy-man froze and stared openly at the lithe hand, his violet eyes wide. “You seem really… _tense_.”

“Y-yeah, I’m fine!” The other declared, turning his red face away, only to let out a gasp as thin fingers began to trail up his leg. “M-Michelle, what are you-”

Instead of answering, the older leaned in, capturing his boyfriend’s lips in a kiss. As Bubba gasped, his partner grabbed hold of shaking shoulders and pushed the Prince onto the bed, climbing onto his middle.

As their lips broke apart, the younger man let out a shaky breath, his eyes half-lidded and full of desire. Immediately they filled with shock, however, as a pair of torn blue stockings were suddenly wrapped around his arms, before they were being pinned above his head, fastened to his headboard.

“W-what in Ooo-!?" The startled Prince cried, only to be cut off as lips were pressed to his once more.

Pulling his lips from the other’s, the vampire’s hands slipped out suddenly to wrap a rolled up, torn sweat-shirt across the younger man’s eyes. Instantly, the man’s vision was cut off and he cried out in alarm.

“Shhh,” Marshall breathed, pressing a finger against gasping lips. “Just… trust me, okay?”

“M-Michelle, I hardly think-” Bubba began, only to fall silent as he was kissed once more. As his partner pulled away once more, he let out a slow whine and fell silent.

For a few moments, Marshall just watched him breathe, cheeks flushed and body hot. He wondered, in those seconds, what he had gotten himself into…

There was no going back from this. In his (much) younger days, the vampire was very casual about who he slept with and yet at that moment, he knew how very intimate such an act was going to be. Their relationship was going to reach a new level and as much as it scared him to think about it… he still found himself undoing the other’s jeans.

It was over before it had really began, which was probably a dual combination of his experienced tongue and the younger man’s inexperienced body. Still, it brought forth a feeling in his chest that left his entire body stiff even as he kissed the other once more and untied him.

An ache. A deep, twisting pain that made his throat burn. And it was for that reason that before his partner had even removed his blindfold, the dark-haired man was already out the balcony door.

* * *

After returning to his home, he’d practically torn his façade off, discarding the corset and underwear in a rush of desperate movement. He couldn’t bring himself to part with Bubba’s shirt, however, and found himself curling up in bed with it still wrapped around his thin body.

He’d screwed up. In fact, he’d _royally_ screwed up. There was _no_ going back from what he’d just done and as painful as it was, he knew that it was impossible to _ever_ let the truth out.

Their relationship had been rocky at the best of times before this situation, but if the Candy Prince were to ever find out about this lie… he would likely discover a way to banish him from Ooo completely, or send him to the Nightosphere for the rest of eternity.

Before, they could have repaired things. He could have apologized, made up for misleading the other man and admitted that he had deep feelings for him, but now… No amount of _I’m sorry_ ’s were going to be enough. He’d crossed the line… or, rather, he’d bypassed the line in a split second and gone straight into _man, you beefed up_.

He needed time to process this change. To come up with some way of making things right again… he needed a bit of a break from his boyfriend while he gathered his thoughts and as much as he knew it was going to wound the pink-haired man, he didn’t have time to let him know.

Feeling extremely uneasy, Marshall fell into a restless slumber, long hair spilling around him and arms wrapped defensively around his middle.

* * *

The next evening he was awoken by a soft knocking at the front door, very different from the pounding that Fionna usually did. At first, he tried desperately to ignore it, but when an all-too familiar voice called out his name he found himself flying ungracefully from his bed.

“Hold on a minute!” The pale man snapped as Prince Bubba Gumball knocked once more, calling to him a second time. “I need to… put on some clothes?”

He heard the other scoff, but didn’t bother to think about it as he stumbled into his closet.

Something quick to put on, something quick… glob it all, all of his pants took _effort_! With a frustrated groan, the vampire grabbed a pair of loose boxers and pulled them over his legs, before carefully removing his boyfriend’s shirt and replacing it with one of his own.

The sudden realization of the length of his hair hit him as he was about to go downstairs and he let out a string of curses, before looking for the scissors. Finding them in the bathroom, it was only after moving to quickly snip off the long locks that he remembered the scratch across his face with a loud groan.

“Marshall Lee, I haven’t got all evening!” The Candy Prince cried and the dark-haired man grumbled as he began to style and cut his hair to cover one side of his face.

“Hold on, dude, glob!” The older called, before he spared a glance in the mirror for old-time’s sake and realized that he still had a ton of makeup – now smeared from sleep – across his features. “ _Beef_.”

A quick scrub – which only made the smears worse – and one messed-up hair style later he was downstairs, pulling open the front door and shooting the man fake daggers.

“…You look awful,” The taller man offered as he stepped in, uninvited.

Immediately a lie popped into the vampire’s head and he spit it out before he could think it over. “Lumpy Space Prince had a party last night. It was _nasty_.”

“…I see,” Came the response and the other didn’t press it, obviously wanting to be none the wiser.

A moment of tense silence passed between them, before Marshall crossed his arms, unconsciously cocking one hip and forcing himself not to flip his hair from his face. “Can I help you?”

Bubba obviously had something else on his mind, because he lifted his head in surprise as his companion spoke. “With what?”

Resisting the urge to smugly smile at the fact that he had completely rocked the candy-man’s world, the vampire instead rolled his eyes. “I don’t know. You’re the one in my living room, you tell me.”

Sucking in a confused breath, the other shook his head to seemingly clear it. “Oh, right,” He fell onto the insanely uncomfortable sofa suddenly, with a huff. “I… wanted to ask you about Michelle.”

Instantly, panic rose in the older man’s throat. Why was he here to ask _him_ about _her_!? Did he know?! Had he figured it out!? As far as he’d let on from either side they knew _nothing_ of each other, so why was he suddenly asking questions!?

“Who?” He forced out, not letting his voice crack even as it attempted to.

A look of frustration crossed a pink face as the taller let out a strained breath. “My _girlfriend_ , Marshall.” A bit of the panic in the older’s chest was erased, solely by the annoyed look in those violet eyes. “I assumed Fionna had mentioned her?”

After the appropriate time for a pause, Marshall shrugged one shoulder, before rolling his eyes again. “She might have. It’s that vampire girl, right?” He supposed offering that much information wasn’t linking them, so it was a safe thing to say. As his unknowing boyfriend nodded, the pale man switched to a more comfortable floating position. “What about her?”

“Well…” The Prince breathed, his eyebrows knitting. “I actually wanted to, uh… ask your advice.”

Genuine surprise etched itself over the shorter man’s features for a moment. “My advice… about your girlfriend?”

“Uh, well…” Bubba mumbled, reaching up to rub at the back of his neck – a nervous habit of his. “It’s… it’s _guy_ stuff and you’re really the only male ‘friend’ I have.”

Deciding not to comment on the obvious quotation marks around the word _friend_ , the vampire moved himself over to sit beside his companion on the sofa. “Well, I can try to help, man, but… I don’t really get girls.”

Instantly, the other’s shoulders fell and the ebony-haired man felt a little bad for letting him down. “Well, I just… can’t really go to Fionna about this because it’s, well… I mean…”

As he struggled for a moment, the older boy resisted the urge to reach out a hand and place it on his shoulder. Instead, he pushed out a, “Just… ask, dude,” while beginning to worry what exactly his boyfriend had in mind.

Did he… want to break up? Had the night before gone too fast? Was he trying to figure out the right way to do it…? Feeling his heart in his chest, Marshall listened closely as the pink-haired man let out another strained breath.

Then he hit him with what felt like a ton of bricks as he dropped his pink face into his hands and whispered, “I think she hates me.”


	6. Anything for love

Doing a double-take for a moment, Marshall Lee stared openly at his none-the-wiser boyfriend, who looked about ready to break down and cry on his uncomfortable sofa.

“You think… she hates you?” He repeated and as the other nodded, he couldn’t help but feel that this was an unexpected twist. He’d been under the impression that his partner was the one secretly harboring hatred for their relationship, after an unexpectedly intimate night… He’d never even _fathomed_ that the Prince would be thinking the same! “Why, dude?”

A deep red blush spread across Bubba’s face as he cleared his throat, turning his face away. “We… um, well… We…”

Allowing his other to suffer for a reasonable amount of time, the vampire eventually cut in, trying his best not to sound compassionate. “You had sex.”

“Glob, no!” The Prince cried and inwardly, his dark-haired companion was glad that such a thing was established. “We just… were… _intimate_. In… _other_ ways.”

After another moment of silence, the older made a show of lifting one eyebrow higher than the other. “I fail to see the problem with this.”

With a frustrated sigh, the younger man leaned back against the sofa, dropping his head back against it. “Well, she… left.” He paused for a moment, seeming to get his wits about himself, before continuing. “Before I could even… fathom what was going on, she was already gone.”

How to go about this… he could certainly assure the other man that Michelle _did_ hate him and put their relationship on the path of ruin, making his own fears about it subside… but he knew without a doubt that he didn’t want such a thing.

…The best thing in this kind of situation was to tell the truth, right? Not the _whole_ truth, per se, but certainly enough to put the other’s mind at ease…

“Dude,” Marshall addressed, earning a pair of violet eyes. “She’s probably just scared like you, okay? You know that feeling you have that she hates you?” Slowly, the other man nodded and the vampire gave a sympathetic smile. “She’s probably just feeling that too.”

Slowly, an understanding look fell over the Prince’s face and he gave a small smile, before nodding. “That makes sense. Yes, I can see that…” He stood suddenly, before turning toward the man and giving a solid nod. “Thank you.”

“What, leaving so soon?” The older scoffed, moving to his feet (metaphorically) as well. “Glad I could help, I guess.”

Seeming determined, Bubba moved over to the door, only to pause with the handle grasped in his fingers. He turned, then, and gave the other man a once over. “…You really do look like hell.”

With a huff, teal eyes rolled as the pale man crossed his arms. “And you look like a guy who just got laid.”

Instantly, the candy-man flushed red before letting out a dramatic, “Honestly!” Before storming away.

As soon as the last traces of both he and the sun were gone, Marshall was out his front door, cutting around the Candy Kingdom via the river and making his way toward a very large tree with a fort built inside.

It only took a few moments for Fionna to open the door once he’d knocked, a surprised look crossing her face. He didn’t bother sparing her a glance, however, as he pushed his way through and practically flew up the ladder into her living room.

“Mar?” The blonde-haired girl inquired once she’d followed him up, finding him seated on her beaten-up old sofa. “What’s wrong, man?”

…What was he supposed to say to that, exactly? He let the words mull over in his head for a moment before dropping his face into his hands.

There were many things he _could_ say, various things he could attempt to ask or talk about. Fionna was a great listener, if not a little bit senseless at times, but he had a feeling that if he explained the entire situation to her she would be momentarily jealous, before becoming furious at him for getting into things way too deep.

A thought began to fester in his brain after a moment, growing larger and larger until he found himself relying on it completely. There was only _one_ way to make the entire situation right again and he needed the girl’s help to do it. She would know exactly where to go.

Lifting his eyes, Marshall mumbled, “…I need to find a wizard.”

Instantly, blonde eyebrows shot up. “What? Why?”

Pale cheeks flushed red and the vampire dropped his head once more, mumbling out a strained response. “I need to know about a potion or a spell, or… something.”

His best friend was at his side instantly, taking a seat and placing a gentle hand on his back. She could tell he was upset about something, perhaps from the way his shoulders were shaking and how he seemed uncomfortable in his own skin. “What kind of potion, man?”

With his heart metaphorically in his throat, the vampire took a sharp breath in, before releasing it with a difficult, “…A sex-changing one.”

“Woah there!” The teenager declared, standing up from the sofa in one quick movement with her hands held out in front of her. “Marshall, dude… I think that’s a big far, don’t you? I mean, you should really think this over…”

“I can’t, Fionna!” The dark-haired man snapped, lifting teal eyes toward her. Tears were leaking from them, streaking down his face, digging into the scratch marks still very fresh on his cheek. “I can’t do it… I can’t tell him the truth. He’s going to _hate_ me and I… I just can’t deal with that!”

Fionna seemed a bit whiplashed by his words for a moment, staring openly at the sobbing man before her. Then, slowly, she sunk back into the seat and reached out, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. “You love him, don’t you?”

The words hit Marshall like a slap in the face. His eyes snapped up to the girl and for a moment he gawked at her, open-mouthed, before the realization began to set in.

…The blonde was right, wasn’t she? Why else would he be considering such great lengths just to avoid losing the other man? Perhaps a fear of rejection, but to be willing to change his own _gender_ …? No… he had an attachment to the Candy Prince like he hadn’t had in _centuries_ and the idea of losing him made his chest twist in painful ways.

“…I guess I am,” the older admitted, realizing how very right she was.

A sympathetic expression crossed a round peach face as his companion moved to rub his upper back once more. “I really think you should just tell him, Marsh.” As he winced, she sighed. “Look, if you get that _deep_ into this lie, then when you eventually _do_ tell him, it’s just going to hurt him even more.”

That was a pretty reasonable thought, he supposed, but the idea of telling the truth made his stomach turn. “I guess I need to think about it.”

With a soft sigh, Fionna pulled her hand away and grabbed some paper, quickly scribbling down a note. “Here. This is the address of a guy named Hunter Wizard. If he doesn’t have the answer you need, he should know who does.”

Giving the girl a weak smile, Marshall pocketed the paper and bid her a pained farewell, before leaving.

* * *

Sprawled across his bathroom counter was an array of make-up, shades of blues and purples stacked neatly and organized by shade. Beside them was an army of nail polish, mostly blues with a few purples and teals thrown in and even a black, along with several clear-coats of various kinds.

Button-up shirts and skinny jeans had been folded neatly and placed in the back of the closet, taking up as little room as possible. Hanging instead on the plastic hangers were flowing shirts and halter-dresses, along with a pin-striped button up that was far too big for his thin frame.

A dresser had been emptied only to be filled again with stockings and skirts, as well as an army of different corsets for any occasion. On top was an array of hair brushes and a plastic case containing hair bands of every style, meant for various situations.

It was no longer the room of a young-looking man, but instead a lovely young woman. Gone were the days when he’d struggle into a pair of jeans and throw on whatever top, before leaving the house to party… no, now it was hours of preparation, with corset tightening and make-up, hair styling and the difficulty of choosing the _right_ outfit.

It had become like second nature and now… it was all over.

This would be the last time he buckled a boned corset around his waist, the last time he pulled the laces so tight that his thin sides took on a feminine shape. This would be the final time he would paint his face up with an array of blues and purples… the single concluding moment when he would dress himself up in the clothes of Michelle and take on her persona.

He’d asked Fionna to give his boyfriend a message to meet him at the Marshmallowy Mweadows deep into the night, just before the sun was set to rise. He’d chosen that time specifically to make it easy to run after his confession, so that the younger man couldn’t pick a fight with him that lasted far too long. The place was deep within the Candy Kingdom, almost to Fionna’s Tree Fort, completely the opposite of the vampire’s lair… but at least the Prince would have a chance to return home first, when they parted ways.

Settling upon just leaving his hair loose, Marshall gave his feline companion one last food and water check before starting off, carrying himself heavily toward the place of meeting.

Originally, his plan had been to track down Hunter Wizard and discover the location of a gender-swapping potion. He’d been all but ready to disappear from life as himself and make a new life as Michelle, staying with the Prince and ultimately becoming completely immersed in his lie… but then he considered what Fionna had said – _really_ considered it – and his plan had gone out the window.

What if Bubba found out after an even longer length of time? What if they got so immersed in their relationship and eventually the truth slipped out? The candy-man would be _devastated,_ even more so if he learned he’d become twisted up in a lie that had lasted _years_.

It was best to come clean, as much as it hurt. There was nothing to do but to state the reality of the situation and tell the man he loved that their entire relationship had been based upon an untruthful event.

The Mweadows were quiet and his stomach was in knots. In the distance, he saw the long, dark form of MoCro approaching and Marshall felt sick, not even bothering to wave as his boyfriend advanced.

“Hello, Michelle,” The Prince addressed rather shyly, motioning his steed to leave, only to earn a huff in response. As the creature flew off, the pink-haired man turned, approaching nervously. “Fionna stated that you had something important to tell me.”

Swallowing down the painful lump in his throat, the vampire gave a slow nod. “I do,” He admitted, feeling his chest constrict. “Um… maybe we should… sit down…”

“I’m afraid I neglected to bring a blanket,” The taller man whispered, a look of concern on his features. “Michelle, are you alright? You appear ill.”

His constricted stomach gave a painful turn and the older let his eyes slip shut, forcing back the frustrated tears that attempted to form. No, he couldn’t break down and cry in front of the other… it wasn’t his place to be upset after all he’d done. “The truth is, Gumball, that… I’ve been lying to you about something.”

Pink eyebrows shot up as violet eyes clouded with concern. “I-”

Suddenly, a shrill shriek filled the air and the two men turn to gape as a thick cloud of fog moved towards them, before parting to reveal a tall, thin form with long white hair and blue skin.

“I told you I’d be back for you!” Ice Queen shrieked from her place in the sky, her large eyebrows flapping like wings, keeping her afloat.

Despite the tense situation, Marshall couldn’t help but ruin her triumphant statement. “Uh… No, you didn’t.”

Instantly, the woman’s face twisted into a look of distain before she let out a deep growl and let a hand fly forward. The vampire reached out, laying a forceful hand against his partner’s chest and knocking the man back, before the sharp wave of ice fell upon him.

The ground was sticky against his clothes as the pale man was forced onto his back, blocks of ice pinning his wrists and ankles down. With a deep hiss, he tried to transform his body ungracefully into one of his larger forms, but to his surprise his abilities were unresponsive.

“You like my new ice crystals?” The white-haired form chuckled, a smirk growing over her face. “They’re made to render _you_ powerless!”

“That’s really messed up, Ice Queen!” The pale-man shrieked, struggling to try and break free. Had she really spent all that time developing a way to get to him? “Let me go! Just get lost, okay? Bubs doesn’t want you!”

A blue face became painted with rage as the woman pointed one long finger at him. “This isn’t about him! He’s not even here! I just want _you_ gone!”

Mouth dropping open, the vampire began to look around, only to find that her words were correct. The Prince was absent, a trail of over-turned marshmallow flowers showing that his tracks lead in the direction of Fionna’s place.

“Oh, my,” Ice Queen hummed, catching teal eyes once more. “It’s getting late… or should I say, early? I’d better go!”

Instantly, Marshall went stiff as he realized she was right. Around them, the sky had begun to lighten and panic flew through his chest, his struggles becoming wild. “Ice Queen, _no_! Don’t leave me here! I’ll burn up!”

A grin crossed her dark lips as she waved one hand in his direction. “I _know_.” With that said, the woman turned and began to fly back toward her kingdom, cackling as she went.

Feral panic spread through the pale man as the first bits of sunlight began to spill over the horizon, dotting his skin and instantly making it burn. He let out a pained hiss, trying to sink away but unable to break the restraints that held him down.

Seconds ticked by and the burning ball lifted higher into the sky. _Pain_ spread throughout every uncovered inch of his body, making his vision go white and his senses dull. For a few moments all he felt was agony, torturing him as his last moments came.

All this… and he hadn’t even managed to tell Bubba the truth.

Then, a long shadow was suddenly cast upon him, stopping the pain instantly but not dulling the ache he was already feeling. As his vision blurred, he spotted a pink face with a head of gum hair looking down at him, a single word drifting into his ears.

“Marshall?”

Then everything went black.

* * *

“Marshall?!” Bubba Gumball cried, cradling a head of long ebony hair close to himself as teal eyes fluttered in pain. “Fionna, he’s not responding!”

“Cake, get that corset off of him!” The blonde-haired girl screamed as she struggled to pin sheets up over her bedroom window. “He can’t breathe!”

“I’m trying, baby cakes!” Her best friend bellowed, working desperately to tug the man’s shirt off and settling in the end for simply ripping it open. Long, noodle-like arms wrapped around his compressed middle and to his back, quickly unhooking the object and forcing the pale form to take in a deep breath of air.

The Candy Prince found himself frowning as she completely removed the object, noting the deep bruising that had formed around the vampire’s waist. They were gone within moments, however, due to his instant healing abilities.

Cake quickly tugged the rest of his façade off and covered him with a thin blanket, before taking her human companion and leaving the two men in peace.

Slowly, the pink-haired man ran sugary fingers through his companion’s dark hair. After a few moments he reached over to the bedside table and grabbed a napkin, using it to wipe the glossy lipstick off of the other’s mouth.

A soft groan was the response to his actions and the pale man in his arms knitted his eyebrows together, before slowly blinking teal eyes open. Instantly, a relieved smile crossed the taller man’s face and he reached up with his free hand, brushing his fingers over the other’s cheek.

“Hey,” Bubba whispered, earning a confused, half-lidded glance. “Welcome back, Marshall.”

The sound of his name seemed to alert the dark-haired man. He sucked in a pained breath, eyes widening and shoulders becoming stiff. After a moment he seemed to sink away from the other, pulling out of his hold and sitting up against the headboard with the blanket pulled up against his chest. “…You knew all along, didn’t you?” The vampire mumbled in what appeared to be horror, staring downward with a strained gaze.

“I did,” The Prince confirmed, no hint of emotion anywhere in his voice.

The older let out a slow breath, turning his confused face away. “I guess I can’t be mad that you lied to me, since I was lying to you all that time…”

A small, unreadable noise left the younger man, before he breathed, “I suppose not.”

“…How long did you know?” Marshall pressed after a few moments of silence, not yet ready to glance toward the Candy Prince. His eyes remained downcast, his entire form tense.

His companion leaned back, folding his hands in his lap. “…From the moment you called me _Your Majesty_ ,” He explained, tightly. “You’re the onlyperson who does that. Everyone else knows that the proper term for a Prince is _Your Highness_.”

Dark eyebrows shot up, before a pale face finally turned to stare at him. “Wait, so… you knew _then_? Why did you ask me to dance after that? Why ask me on a _date_?”

“In all honesty,” Bubba hummed tensely. “…I wanted to see if you’d go through with it.” As his companion’s face twisted into pain, he turned his gaze away, as if ashamed. “It was my intention to let you know at the end, perhaps tease you a bit… but…” He let out a strained sigh, the guilt obvious on his features. “…Then I ended up having an exceptionally wonderful time and when you asked me on another date… I couldn’t refuse.”

“…I wanted to get to know you,” The vampire admitted after a moment of silence, almost shyly. “Without the stigma we have between us. And when I started to, well… I didn’t really want to stop.”

“You fell in love with me,” The younger man concluded, earning a meek nod. “I admit, I’m not surprised, however… I hadn’t intended to fall for you, either.”

Dark eyebrows shot up instantly as the pale man’s back straightened. “What…? What did you say?”

With a small, flushed huff, the Prince turned his face even further away. “I know perfectly well that you heard me, Marshall Lee. _Honestly_!” For a moment, he crossed his arms over his chest, before eventually calming down enough to turn his gaze back toward the other man. “…Truth be told, I was actually going to confront you about it when Ice Queen arrived.”

“I was about to admit the truth,” The older stated, before a small smile broke out on both of their faces. “Funny how that beef works out, huh?”

A few seconds of awkward silence passed between them, before Marshall cleared his throat.

“So…” He mumbled, reaching a hand up to push a lock of long hair from his face. “…Where do we go from here?”

“Well,” The Prince hummed, rubbing at the back of his neck. “If you’re willing to… I would like to continue our relationship.”

Dark eyebrows lifted once more before a complex expression crossed the vampire’s face. “…I don’t have to wear a corset again, do I?”

Slowly, Bubba smiled. “No, you don’t.”

Letting out a sigh of relief, his boyfriend leaned back against Fionna’s headboard, letting his eyes slip shut. “Good. Because that junk beefing _hurts_. I _never_ want to be a girl again.”


End file.
